Should You Learn 2+ Languages at the Same Time? Pros and Cons Considered

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ค. 2024
  • People are always asking if it is a good idea, or a bad idea, to try to teach themselves more than one language at a time. Those who ask clearly want to do so, but are afraid that it might hurt them. There is no one right or wrong answer that applies to everyone. In this video I discuss reasons why you might, or might not, want to do this:
    Time Stamps:
    2 Reasons NOT to study multiple languages at the same time
    01:38 Best to focus all energy on one target, not split time away
    06:22 Danger of mixing up languages
    3 Reasons TO study more than one language at once
    08:48 Avoidance of burn out
    10:15 Creates comparative context for learning
    12:17 Simultaneous learning more efficient than sequential learning
    Bonus: The Analogy of Dog Time + Cat Time
    14:47 Introducing Sophie
    If would like to participate via Zoom in my virtual reading and discussion circles for French, German, Spanish, or Latin literature, or in seminars for discussing Great Books, please fill out the application at www.alexanderarguelles.com/ac...
    If you can think of anyone else who might be interested in joining these discussion circles, or who might like support for the self-study of foreign languages, please pass the above information along to them.
    If you are in a position to support my efforts to spread knowledge through these videos, I will gratefully accept any contributions to ko-fi.com/alexanderarguelles

ความคิดเห็น • 170

  • @EdgeOfLight
    @EdgeOfLight 2 ปีที่แล้ว +70

    i am certain the cat is this man's true brain and only through lap connection can he attain ultimate knowledge. Thank you cat for providing professor with brain power.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      This is true - you have found my secret!

  • @davexhayter
    @davexhayter 2 ปีที่แล้ว +48

    Major reveal at the end. Super plot twist.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      No: dog time is going for a run in the morning. Cat time is everything else.

    • @davexhayter
      @davexhayter 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@ProfASAr but what languages does she respond to?

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@davexhayter Korean and English

    • @mellonclarinet4303
      @mellonclarinet4303 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Glot twist

  • @XinxilanDiaosi
    @XinxilanDiaosi 2 ปีที่แล้ว +76

    After studying Chinese as my first non-native language for 2 years, I recently decided to pick up Russian and do both simultaneously - I feel like the excitement of starting a new language helped renew my excitement for Chinese and studying both prevents burnout in one or the other

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Thank you for confirming the value of studying multiple languages simultaneously in preventing burn out.

    • @sasharama5485
      @sasharama5485 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I totally agree. I had the experience

    • @RedMoe51
      @RedMoe51 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I started with russian a few years ago and I have started chinese around 2 weeks ago. I moved to Italy a year ago so I do a total of 3 foreign languages everyday. It is superfun and it makes me happy. For me it is the only thing that matters. It is also great to see that progress in a language is proportional to your discipline and the time invested.

    • @mentalhealthisessential
      @mentalhealthisessential 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Yesss

  • @edmundjacobs4513
    @edmundjacobs4513 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thanks! This is the best discussion of this topic that I have heard.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thank you kindly. I'm glad it was useful.

  • @the_flushjackson
    @the_flushjackson 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Thought provoking topic, thanks for delving into this without prescribing a right or wrong methodology. As I stated in an earlier comment on another video, I start with one language and get to upper intermediate level (as best I can measure with the help of native speakers / tutors). Once I’m in that neighborhood I start another language and continue the original language as far as I want to take it. Truth be told, if the second or third languages are in separate families I start them when I reach a lower intermediate in the previous. The initial part of this starts with one language, but not long after you’re cascading languages. I’ve found this to be effective, as you maintain motivation and your activities very quickly run the entire spectrum. It doesn’t have to be super rigid, but in general this is what I do. I do think two languages that are “too close” could be problematic, for the most part I’ve avoided it without testing the hypothesis. YMMV

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thanks for the detailed comment and appreciation, as well as sharing your methodology and experience.

  • @ProfASAr
    @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I offer virtual options for working with me via Zoom to improve your skills in reading French, German, Latin, or Spanish literatures, to engage in Great Books discussions, and to provide support for the self-study of foreign languages. If this interests you, please fill out the application form on my website at alexanderarguelles.com/academy/ If this is not for you, but you know someone whom it might interest, please pass this information on to them.

  • @poliglototodidak9638
    @poliglototodidak9638 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This is the best answer I've heard to this question. Very balanced

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thank you kindly.

  • @denisparamonov7389
    @denisparamonov7389 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Thank you very much! It was really interesting!
    I'm currently trying to learn English and I also want to start learning French and Italian.
    I think the end of the video illustrates the approach of learning two languages at the same time :))

    • @NaturalLanguageLearning
      @NaturalLanguageLearning 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Something like the LingQ Mini Stories are perfect to learn 2 languages (especially similar ones) at the same time. If you read and listen to the exact same stories in French and Italian over and over again, you'll make sure you don't mix both languages up. I always recommend that to my students who want to learn Spanish and Portuguese or Spanish and French, for example.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks for providing this reference. The fear of mix-up often becomes a mountain out of a molehill.

  • @bojarneving6847
    @bojarneving6847 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Really enjoyed this!

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Glad to hear it!

  • @Yan_Alkovic
    @Yan_Alkovic 2 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    Over the 3 years that I've been learning languages extensively I've always sort of paired languages thematically: I either do two languages that I'd recently started one after another, or if I'm "maintaining" those languages, I might do them one after another because of thematic relevance. For instance, right now I have a block of Danish-French-Dutch-Japanese listening routine in the morning (important European languages + a language with ties to Dutch), followed by a block of ancient languages: OCS, OE, Latin, ON, but I don't really have a good way to group the other languages that I'm doing so I do them whenever I get the chance to. And I also try to alternate language groups, to sort of to cleanse the palette, as it were.
    Have you, Professor, found similar patterns in your study routine? How about my fellow viewers?

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Hello Yan, thanks for the great comment/question, and thanks for signing up for some academy offerings. We will have a chance to discuss this kind of thing there in more detail. Grouping languages, developing sustainable schedules, maintaining balance - this is the real art of polyglottery.

  • @carmencampeanu7810
    @carmencampeanu7810 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    You are so very very inspiring Professor, love listening to your wisdom for hours on end!!

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thank you so very much for your kind words. Might we hope to meet in person (albeit virtually) in one of the offerings in my Academy some day? However much of my knowledge and experience I can impart through videos, I can impart far more with live interaction.

    • @carmencampeanu7810
      @carmencampeanu7810 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ProfASAr I would love to participate in Academy in some way but I can't attend live video calls... I have three young children (ages 1, 3 and 6) and also help my husband with a family business (so super busy!) Nonethless, since I have had children I have learnt lots of languages and listen to your TH-cam language learning videos on my headphones throughout day whenever I can in-between taking care of children and washing dishes etc. I am making the best of the little time I have in this season of my life! Hehe.... anyway, I am sure there are lots of other people in my position who are are time poor and cannot commit to one on one sessions because of hectic life but can still manage to get through lots of pre-recorded content throughout the day... I was wondering if you would please consider providing some type.of.content for us in your academy? Maybe some sort of "Silver" package for the rest of us who are happy to just listen to pre-recorded discussions and enjoy the content in a more passive way for a lower price? Anyway, I hope other people mention an interest in this and it becomes a viable option for you to provide to us who are time poor but still very enthusiastic! 🙂

  • @carolvang4904
    @carolvang4904 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    So nice to meet Sophie! And actually, this video Really helped me! I am lower intermediate, or maybe advanced beginner in Chinese and French. I often don’t even mention to anyone that I want to learn Italian too! I am only spending about 30 minutes on each language just now. Maybe I can work in 45 minutes; then sneak in a little Italian!!

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Hello Carol, in the language-learning support group that you signed up for, we can talk in detail about developing a schedule for all your languages.

  • @f.b.9776
    @f.b.9776 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Greetings professor! This video is the most realistic one I saw about learning multiple languages. I think it's easier to maintain languages related to your native language, it's still very important to engage those languages everyday. I learned english 15 years, studied grammar, vocabulary and so on, but I came to the conclusion that I would have to put a lot more effort into it, to improve. In the end, I decided that I shouldn't study it anymore, cause I am using it anyway. Improvement gets harder the more experienced we are in a language. On the other hand, we are going to loose our skills quickly, as soon we stop using them. If we don't use the languages for 10 days, then we were 240 hours silent. It always comes down to a daily structure , no matter how long and how many languages we learn. As a consequence of this, it gets more difficult the more languages we learn.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      I am glad it was helpful. Yes, it does come down to a juggling act of schedules and balances for maintenance if you want to be a polyglot.

  • @sams3046
    @sams3046 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Your videos are very helpful Prof
    Arguelles, I am studying Ottoman Turkish which is Turkish grammar with many elements of Arabic and Persian. Trying to learn Arabic, Persian, and communicate in modern vernacular Turkish as well has been quite difficult.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I am jealous. Ottoman Turkish is something I never got to. I have a 3-volume textbook set for it that I never got to use...

  • @user-um7tw6kx4r6
    @user-um7tw6kx4r6 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I probably don't have anything much to contribute, Professor. I just want to say I really appreciate the video. Thank you for making it.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      You are very welcome.

  • @iberius9937
    @iberius9937 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I've been learning Latin and Greek (Modern and Biblical) for about two years now, and still going strong. I cannot abandon either for the other or focus on just one, since I am passionate about both.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      While I did my best to present the "con" side as strongly and as fairly as I could, frankly I personally find the idea of studying only one language to be simply incomprehensible since there are so many languages worth knowing.

  • @rebeccaclyde9813
    @rebeccaclyde9813 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    You have relieved me of my guilt! Thank you for such an honest and insightful explanation. I actually have been feeling GUILTY about continuing to work on my Spanish, while simultaneously learning Basque. I laughed out loud twice watching your video ( and I mean that in the best kind of laughter way) - once, when your dear cat loving attacked your unflinching hand, and second, with this revelation that I had been viewing my Basque-learning endeavor as if I had taken up a secret lover and am somehow being unfaithful to my Spanish. Ha! Ah but no it isn't so. You helped me see that not only are they not in competition with eachother (just as with my children, there is no limit to my love) , but that the dual experience actually enhances the learning. The point you made - about the benefit in noticing the differences, and comparing and contrasting the languages - was spot on.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I am very glad to have helped!

  • @michaeldubery3593
    @michaeldubery3593 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    In the Supermemo Wiki article about Incremental Learning, Wozniak says that learning mutliple different things in parallel allows you to focus and thus study effectively longer as there is more novelty before you. Another advantage is in creativity, as you are exposed to knowledge in different areas put temporally very close together, you are more likely to spontaneously make connections between the two.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      That is certainly the way my own mind works. Thanks for that reference.

  • @lincantatio7749
    @lincantatio7749 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I am currently learning Korean and Japanese at the same time. I do find it very useful to switch language. As I switch the mentality and culture with it it never get boring yo keep being focused. But I must also say, I already speak 3 languages, so my brain should be used to use more languages and rules simultaneously.
    But I totally see, why people want and need to focus on one only. There are so many diffrent language learning styles as there are individual human. As long as you have fun and keep motivated you are good to go in my opinion. p.s; I totally love your videos and your cat accessory ~☆ stay healthy and can't wait for more input from you!

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thank you for the substantive comment about the value of simultaneous study and the importance of having the background to do this.

  • @jonathanekroos3788
    @jonathanekroos3788 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you ☺️

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      You’re welcome!

  • @awanderer9966
    @awanderer9966 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    this video comes at the perfect time🙏

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      I hope my thoughts help you!

    • @awanderer9966
      @awanderer9966 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ProfASAr yes they do thanks alot!

  • @phoenixknight8837
    @phoenixknight8837 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Excellent video that explores the pros and cons in a thorough way. What breed are your family cat and dog?

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Merlin the Cat is an Arabian, Sophie the Dog is Standard Poodle.

  • @YogaBlissDance
    @YogaBlissDance 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Prof. one thing you may misunderstand about TH-cam, the fact that you've spoken about something before, doesn't preclude sharing about it over and over, perhaps different angles etc. On TH-cam never assume folks have watched earlier videos esp. if as in your case, some are from years ago.
    Sadly the algorithm like repetition, LOTS of repetition, it rewards a deep niche of content into one subject. It can even feel repetitive for the creator (I'm a TH-camr myself.) Look at Steve Kaufmann for example lots of the videos are really the same...
    But also I honestly just love the time with you and you sharing your insights- for example I have no plan to become a polyglot. I only really love one language- but am fascinated by those who can learn multiple. And feel that it makes sense to listen to folks like you and Luca L., and Lindee Boates (?) and the coffee drinking language guy...you all start to feel like friends.
    Thanks for all you do, and the kitty too.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Merlin and I both thank you for sharing your deep perspective and experience on how this brave new virtual world works...

    • @elisabethrichard
      @elisabethrichard 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      You're right but I don't even think it's sad that TH-cam likes repetition. I like repetition too. The more you handle an idea, the more familiar you get with it, the more insights you get from it and ultimately the more it benefits you.

  • @jeanenviedapprendre
    @jeanenviedapprendre 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I did one at a time for the first one, wanting to have something to show for my time. I wanted my French to be strong enough to use it as a sort of adoptive mother tongue to learn other languages with. I worked on French until I could read Le Comte de Monte Cristo. I don't regret it, because I get more enjoyment out of it than I would any other language if I had done three at once. I don't use the same measure for other languages, but I'm glad I have one C level language.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thank you for sharing your substantive experience with French.

  • @rileyriley7419
    @rileyriley7419 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you for your informative and very helpful videos! Would Spanish + French, fall into the same category as Spanish + Italian, in being too close to effectively learn simultaneously?

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      They are not as similar so you could probably manage it.

  • @becktronics
    @becktronics 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    As someone who has studied multiple languages in his spare time since teenagehood (now post graduation), I completely agree about being able to "hang information" on the neural network of ways you can express a single idea. Initially, I studied German and Spanish simultaneously through the Internet so that I could gain proficiency to watch movies, talk with friends while playing games, and to further my ability to connect with others. During junior high, I became really interested in Russian/Ukrainian because of the Stalker video game series. It all started with not being able to read the signs on the walls and thinking that Cyrillic looked interesting :)
    By that time, I was trying to actively use Spanish (for class and friends), German (outside of class for friends), and Russian (as a hobby with some occasional practice writing and communicating with friends). If I hadn't had studied like that, I doubt that I'd be able to communicate in so many languages!
    Great channel, really enjoying your content and passion for languages!

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thank you for posting the kind of substantive comment that makes this section worth reading.

  • @LibraMakeup
    @LibraMakeup 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Love the pet analogy and the demonstration especially.. what a talkative kitty.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The timing just worked out perfectly so I thought I would leave it in.

  • @johnketema8880
    @johnketema8880 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Professor, would it be possible for you to cover differences in approach between learning modern and ancient languages, including for which languages, if any, it is better to learn a modern descendant first?

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Thank you for the good prompt. I will add that to my list of possible upcoming videos, though this might be better addressed in writing. Have you looked at my Q&A page? Perhaps flesh this out and submit it there?

    • @johnketema8880
      @johnketema8880 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      I did not know you had one!

  • @margolitapnina6716
    @margolitapnina6716 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    ok I jumped to the end to see Sophie and Merlin (sorry if if the names are spelled wrong) and then came back to where I was❤ Variety, more motivation, no burnout, no boredom 🥰
    focusing on only one thing has always been terrible for me and if I have to be honest the highest proficiency I archived in my life ( with German and Mandarin) have been reached in very busy periods of my life. When I focused on Hebrew only it was going quite well but I felt so terrible if I had to skip a lesson or whatever. My first language is Italian even if i'm dominicana

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Sophie and Merlin they are indeed!

  • @jcs3142
    @jcs3142 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliant.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thank you kindly.

  • @ResIntellecta
    @ResIntellecta 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Professor Arguelles, I'm curious as to whether you have any recommendations for Arabic study resources? I'm principally interested in learning Arabic for the purpose of being able to read classical philosophical and theological texts but would nonetheless like to develop a spoken proficiency in the Modern Standard variant. I've begun with Assimil but have found it rather disappointing in comparison with their other editions--not least because of the publisher's absurd decision to permit using handwritten instead of printed Arabic. If you have any recommendations, this would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Please submit this to the Q&A page of my website and I will answer it there - flesh it out with more about your background and target as well. Thanks!

    • @ResIntellecta
      @ResIntellecta 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ProfASAr Will do. Thanks.

  • @strangerintheselands251
    @strangerintheselands251 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The last minute of the video proves the point: the dog time ain't gonna take away the cat time :D
    Best wishes, Alexander!

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      And the dog showed up with perfect timing, so I had to take advantage of that and capture a moment I never could have staged.

  • @chadprivett1143
    @chadprivett1143 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you, Professor, and my, what a pair of fangs on Merlin!

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      You are welcome, chad. Yes, that's quite a yawn, isn't it?

  • @clairemancusi7550
    @clairemancusi7550 ปีที่แล้ว

    Currently, I am studying Dutch in my free time and Spanish at school. I studied Latin a few years ago in school, and I studied some French also in my free time. When I am studying my Spanish vocabulary, especially, I have issues. Someone will quiz me and ask me to say "Good morning" in Spanish. Instead of saying "buenos dias", I say "goedemorgen". In order to keep myself from hindering my progress, I began studying my vocabulary differently, so that I would translate the Dutch directly into the Spanish and forego the English. It has helped, as far as I can tell.
    I have also found in my Spanish class that my experience with languages has helped me understand concepts more quickly. I am not learning words like "conjugation" and "declension" alongside Spanish. Changing the article to match the noun is not foreign to me as it is to others who have never studied any language besides English. It is the same with word order and adjectives. Even in the relative ease of my Spanish beginnings, I realize from my language experience that it will all become much harder and more complex, and I can't wait until such complexity comes.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว

      Thank you for sharing the details of your experience.

  • @gregmoore167
    @gregmoore167 ปีที่แล้ว

    I studied Japanese and Chinese at university; I started learning Chinese 6 months before Japanese. I mixed them up a lot and still to this day. It is the common automatic phrases that I sometimes mix up, and never sentences which I have to think about and construct in my mind!

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว

      Interesting to hear, but I imagine frustrating to experience. Thanks for sharing.

  • @RogerRamos1993
    @RogerRamos1993 ปีที่แล้ว

    I've started working out at the gym 4 months ago, my record of regular exercise to date. I know various languages to varying degrees. This year, I've decided to study 7 languages at the same time. How? 3 a day. At least half an hour per language. By the end of the week, at least 1 hour and a half per language. However, some of these languages I already know to a good level, at least passively, such as English, Italian and French. The new languages are Japanese, Korean, German (A1), and Occitan (I can read Catalan).
    While I love communicating in different languages, my greatest pleasure lies in listening and reading different languages, being able to watch interviews, understanding humor, etc... So, I think this is feasible. I want to apply the discipline I've built at the gym to language learning. No goals, no CEFR, just improving and learning a bit more each week.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว

      Transferring skills as you describe is certainly often a means to achieve a great deal! Please report back some months down the line as to how this is going.

  • @dowolo
    @dowolo 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Despite what you have said about learning languages in sequence, do you still think it is advisable to learn the modern variant of a language to a nice level (whatever that may mean) before diving into the ancient or medieval variant--for example, modern Greek before ancient Greek, as is my case?

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      As a general rule, yes, if only because it makes finding bilingual text editions all the easier as well as gives you a basis for subvocalization.

  • @vinitshukla3730
    @vinitshukla3730 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hello professor I have been wandering around your channel for past few days and I have to say this video's are extremely helpful I have been getting knowledge of the languages and reviews of the resources better than anywhere else . My question is that I have been studying Spanish for past 1 month now I am using pimsleur with FSI programmatic simultaneously for further learning of Spanish i have assimil, and FSI basic course and I eagerly wanted the linguaphone courses of 70s but they were not available anywhere so after researching a while I found a website that offer's the old courses free for downloading I downloaded the 60s and 70s linguaphone Spanish and I can say I am set to learn Spanish with additional resources of anki and old glossika. But my question is this I am 15 years old from india so in here we have to choose a language between hindi and sanskrit so I already speak Hindi I opted for Sanskrit and I decided I will not learn Sanskrit for exams I will learn Sanskrit to a level I can speak it I have resources ready for that also just the question is that will it be good maintaining Spanish-sanskrit simultaneously or going with Spanish alone is good . And any extra tips you can give to these languages ?

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      For a native Hindi speaker, learning Sanskrit and learning Spanish should be two utterly different experiences, so I see no problem with that - give it a try, and if you do find it burdensome or confusing, stop one. Best of luck to you in your studies!

    • @vinitshukla3730
      @vinitshukla3730 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ProfASAr thanks professor I have choosen Sanskrit for the time being I think I will give this year whole to Sanskrit learning Sanskrit for school and spoken Sanskrit too given that I am already a hindi speaker so Sanskrit is not that difficult comparing to people who are not native hindi speakers thanks again

  • @melbifk
    @melbifk 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thats literally the subject that's on my mind for last 3 days

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      I hope my thoughts helped you!

    • @melbifk
      @melbifk 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ProfASAr yes! It very very helpful and game me something to think about before making a decision.

  • @megh2s
    @megh2s ปีที่แล้ว +2

    There's one possible disadvantage to learning two or more languages at once that keeps me away from trying it out in earnest, which you didn't quite address head-on, and I'm curious what you'd think about it. It's adjacent to the two cons you discussed but still different: This is the point that learning a language for 3 hrs per day for five days, for example (ideally in three separate sessions in the day), is going to yield more progress per unit time than studying 1 hr per day for 15 days. And by extension, that if you do one language at a time, with the same daily time put in for language-learning, you can learn three languages, for example, in 6 years if done sequentially and in 9 years if done at once. The underlying idea is of maximizing gains by focusing on one thing at a time and not spreading yourself thin Thoughts? Thanks for the great content; watched your intro videos to shadowing a decade ago when you made them and have enjoyed the resumption of your channel!

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Thank you for the great point. I think there are different strokes for different folks here, and it is not universally true that you would get more progress by focusing as you describe. Maximizing gains by focusing on one thing at a time might work well for some, but for others it might lead to boredom and/or burnout.

    • @megh2s
      @megh2s ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ProfASAr thanks for the response! So would you say if a person isn't prone to boredom and/or burnout, maximizing gains through doing one thing at a time is more efficient than working on multiple things at once?

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@megh2s Someone like that might well find it more advantageous, but if the goal is ultimately to know and use multiple languages, the other factors favoring simultaneous learning would still need to be considered.

    • @megh2s
      @megh2s ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ProfASAr yes, certainly. This is the big-picture yet context-specific consideration we need more of everywhere.

  • @christophjasinski4804
    @christophjasinski4804 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Can't believe the video literally ends with cat and dog time 😂

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      She just happened to come by at the perfect time so it worked out that way.

    • @EdgeOfLight
      @EdgeOfLight 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      spoilers....

  • @dmitrykizyanov6577
    @dmitrykizyanov6577 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Спасибо! На редкость симпатичная собака.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Да, у нее есть свое обаяние.

  • @michaelwheeler9364
    @michaelwheeler9364 ปีที่แล้ว

    I only speak english but would like to learn many languages. I read that learning multiple languages in the same family is the quickest way to become multilingual because you benefit from the similarities in grammar and vocabulary. Outside of a school setting where one might have to cram for a test, is confusing all of the languages really that big of a problem, such as with Danish, Dutch, and Norwegian? That was what I am planning to do. Perhaps it is a bad idea...

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว

      That is certainly easier than learning lots of unrelated languages.

  • @axelcarvalho2661
    @axelcarvalho2661 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I learned English to the extent I can watch movies and read (most) books as if they were written in my mother tongue. Now, if I'm learning, say, Spanish but watch your videos out of pure interest, would you count it as learning English simultaneously with Spanish or is it another type of activity?

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      If watching videos in English is like watching in your mother tongue, then I don't think watching videos such as mine for content counts as "learning" any more - "practice" maybe, or just "use."

  • @schizofren_ia
    @schizofren_ia ปีที่แล้ว +1

    how do you study with a calm cat? my cat moves a lot so it's quite hard to study with her...

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      What can I say? He can be obtrusive at times as well, but is generally a comforting lap cat.

  • @azerbaijanipolyglotelnur9804
    @azerbaijanipolyglotelnur9804 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Hey my friend, how are you? Please can you do a video in which you will speak arabic? By the way what is your arabic level?

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I have posted three videos where I am engaged in intellectual conversations in Arabic:
      th-cam.com/video/Pcc-eE7OrXU/w-d-xo.html
      th-cam.com/video/S6EuVB-tg0I/w-d-xo.html
      th-cam.com/video/gecI9Wy_vNw/w-d-xo.html

  • @Deibi078
    @Deibi078 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    What a Gigachad

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Who? Me or Merlin?

  • @moongloomable
    @moongloomable 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Based on the cat's reaction I don't think it agreed about the dog not taking up kittie time. Great advice thank you!

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      You are very welcome!

  • @elisabethrichard
    @elisabethrichard 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Learning multiple languages at the same time is just something that "happens" for me. It's not something I decided to do or not do. I'm probably way too disorganized for that! I often take long breaks from conscious language learning, but a few languages have become so embedded in my life that I will practice reading or listening without really intending to. Mostly, I just pick up a new language every once in a while and the rest of the time, I switch back and forth between the languages that I still want to improve. So in a way, I kind of study them one at a time, except not quite. Today for example, I consciously studied Italian, but this morning I also listened to podcasts in German and Portuguese. Tomorrow, I will probably read and write in Swedish as part of my job, listen to a couple podcasts in some other language while I walk my dog, then devote study time to Italian again.
    I also wanted to mention that you don't necessarily forget a language for not studying it. First of all, it depends on how long the break is. A 3 month break usually won't hurt too much. But mostly it depends on how far along you are in your learning. In my experience, the more advanced you are in a language and the more practice you have with it, the less you're going to forget. I stayed 20 years without doing anything at all in German and Portuguese while I focused on my career, then my kids, then other languages. When I picked them back up I hadn't forgotten that much. I was just very rusty: I could basically understand almost as much as I used to, but I was utterly unable to speak. I had retained the passive knowledge, but not the active knowledge. But that's okay because it comes back quickly once you start practicing again. However, if I were to start studying ancient Greek or Guadeloupean Creole again, it wouldn't be pretty I'm sure! I'm also pretty pathetic (in a funny way, actually) whenever I try to decipher anything in Arabic! That's because I never went very far in these languages, or in the case of Ancient Greek, because it's kinda harder to retain ancient languages, since you don't get to speak them very often :D

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Thanks for the detailed comment and description of your learning journey. I also do not really forget languages even if I don't touch them for a long time, but I have know people who told me that they were actually trained teachers of a foreign language a few decades back but then retained zero abilities.

  • @juanspada3904
    @juanspada3904 ปีที่แล้ว

    Studying 2-3 languages at the same time after the beginner stage can make sense. Especially with languages from the same family. German is my 3rd language and I am in the C levels and while I am learning swedish I do have a lot of aha moments where something clicks better by learning it in swedish and the connection becomes stronger with its german counterpart. Same principle I have applied in programming with different languages and the result was the same.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว

      Yes, exactly, thanks for confirming this approach.

    • @juanspada3904
      @juanspada3904 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ProfASAr So do you suggest to just keep on reading and make those associations or pair that input activity with anki or something like that ( which I almost never do xD) professor ?

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว

      @@juanspada3904 Just keep reading. I have never used Anki or anything like it, either.

  • @abdulhaseebbatataz9794
    @abdulhaseebbatataz9794 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    سلام أخي إسكندر، عندي سؤال مهم عن نحو بالغة العربية. ‏ما الكتب التي تنصح بها بعد
    ؟assimil
    ‏شكرا جزيلا يعني فيديوهاتك المفيدة 😀

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      نعم، سلسلة أسيميل ممتازة للغة العربية.

    • @abdulhaseebbatataz9794
      @abdulhaseebbatataz9794 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ProfASAr طبعا بلا شك لكن أي كتاب النحو بعد أسيميل مثل ألفية بن مالك وهي منظومة ألف سطر في تلخيص النحو اللغة العربية؟

    • @CodyMSmith-oo5qd
      @CodyMSmith-oo5qd 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      بعد اسيميل، انا شخصيا استخدمت كتاب اسمه "مدخل إلى اللغة العربية، الجزء الثاني" فتوجد فيه مقابل، فديوهات، و إلى أخره. بنسبة لي، هذا الكتاب كان ممتاز!
      فأنا أحبت هذا الفيديو، يا استاذ! انت رائع جدآ!

  • @defaultYTchannel
    @defaultYTchannel 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Sibling rivalry!

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Merlin has been surprisingly supportive of the adoption.

  • @ywang2528
    @ywang2528 ปีที่แล้ว

    your dog and cat are cute

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thank you. If you want more cat, look at this: th-cam.com/video/vI3eoYg3hXU/w-d-xo.html

  • @sirisaacalbertmravinszky2671
    @sirisaacalbertmravinszky2671 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I think not so long ago you said you're no dog person, but a cat person. So, now you're developing into a general pet person? 😉
    As to the languages: I had to put aside my Spanish when starting Italian, and I think you should combine two similar languages of one linguistic family, like Czech and Slovakian, Norwegian Bokmål and Danish, Finnish and Estonian or Welsh and Breton. And that's because you instantly compare and see the connections. I think it should be no problem to combine structurally different types of languages like Mandarin and Russian or Kiswahili and Hungarian.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thanks for the comments on different ways of grouping languages. As for Sophie... she's my wife's dog...

  • @squaretriangle9208
    @squaretriangle9208 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    😂😂😂 cat and dogtime - perfect

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      That was when Sophie was new in our family - now we spend a lot more time like that together, the three of us.

  • @adamclark1972uk
    @adamclark1972uk 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    😮

  • @genestone4951
    @genestone4951 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    After many years of being a bad language student, Im now learning Linguistics (Udemy) while also learning Thai. Its an experiment.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I hope it is going well!

  • @fab006
    @fab006 ปีที่แล้ว

    I usually have one or two languages that are my main priority at any one time, but if I stopped myself from dabbling in others for variety I don’t think I would be able to keep up my interest in learning. It would become much more of a chore than a geeky hobby.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว

      Sounds like a good plan for you!

  • @eobardthawne7126
    @eobardthawne7126 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Do you find languages like Swahili to be difficult to learn?

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      No.

    • @eobardthawne7126
      @eobardthawne7126 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@ProfASAr how should a beginner approach a language?

  • @JamesMackenzie-sx2bu
    @JamesMackenzie-sx2bu 28 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Sorry - I love your cat

  • @kimYeonyuu
    @kimYeonyuu 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    8:42

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      What in particular is at the moment? The transition to "pro" reasons?

  • @jenjafree
    @jenjafree 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Последние 2 минуты видео like: наглаживание кота и собаки😁 You learn Russian? Somewhere I heard in one of your videos about Russian

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Да, мне нравится изучать русский язык.

    • @jenjafree
      @jenjafree 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@ProfASAr Здорово! Спасибо за ответ☺️

    • @jenjafree
      @jenjafree 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@ProfASAr я тоже люблю русский язык, изучать в каком-то смысле тоже, хоть я и являюсь носителем русского языка. В каждом языке есть своя мелодия, я наверное про это. Я изучаю английский, но не очень усердно, хоть и люблю его. Хотелось бы конечно и некоторые другие выучить, когда-нибудь

  • @christiancacibauda5512
    @christiancacibauda5512 ปีที่แล้ว

    15:26: Merlin's got a look on his face that says: "Dog time takes away from cat time."

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว

      Right you are!

  • @calebgates6202
    @calebgates6202 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Professor Arguelles, the multi-lingual, multi-animal lover. With his left hand he pets the cat, with his right, the dog. Merlin has a thing or two to say about Zoe hogging the spotlight. Professor Arguelles’ next language challenge - simultaneous translation between Catese and Dogese!

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thank you kindly, but who is Zoe?

    • @calebgates6202
      @calebgates6202 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Sorry, I heard Zoe but you said Sophie. My wife’s parents had a dog named Zoe, and I have a daughter names Sophie. Both “life” and “wisdom” are good names. Merlin, as the wise, magician cat, exudes wisdom!

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@calebgates6202 All good!

  • @horsermchead2504
    @horsermchead2504 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I think Merlin was really disagreeing with some of your statements, in fact, violently so

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you for the simultaneous interpretation.

  • @gwwasham
    @gwwasham ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This man needs to star in a James Bond film as an evil genius villian. Okay. Maybe just star as a genius. And the cat could star as well.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      We are up for it if any ca(s)ting agents are reading this.

  • @HammadKhan-tl6bb
    @HammadKhan-tl6bb 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I was just thinking of that question and it just popped on my recommendation list. Is it god or I am too optimistic in bringing god into everything, maybe it is just youtube algorithm.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      In either case, I hope it was helpful.

  • @foreignlanguagesisfun8143
    @foreignlanguagesisfun8143 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I know how I learn foreign languages. Yes it is a bad idea to learn 2 or more languages at the same time. You will be
    Super confused and frustrated being in the beginning stages of foreign languages. I always wait at least 3 years before I start a new foreign language.

    • @ProfASAr
      @ProfASAr  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks for commenting and sharing your experience.

  • @thereseolsen1405
    @thereseolsen1405 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The cat is reallt spooky! I can’t watch the videos because of it. I like your content, but I usually have to turn the pictute off and just listen, that huge cat freaks me out! 🥴😿